Voice controlled assistant

ABSTRACT

An apparatus including a housing and a sleeve that engages and at least partially encloses the housing. The housing may include a top portion having a loudspeaker and an exterior surface and a bottom portion having a loudspeaker and an exterior surface. An audio diffuser may be positioned between the top portion of the housing and the bottom portion of the housing so as to radially disperse sound from the loudspeakers. A light ring on the housing may indicate a functional state of the apparatus. Protrusions on the housing may interact with indentations on the sleeve to position and align the housing within the sleeve. The sleeve may include holes to allow sound to be outputted from the loudspeakers. Magnets and alignment elements may further situate and secure the housing to the sleeve.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This disclosure is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 16/531,773, filed Aug. 5, 2019, which is acontinuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/691,383, filed Aug. 30, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,375,471, issuedAug. 6, 2019, which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Homes are becoming more connected with the proliferation of computingdevices, such as desktop and laptop computers, tablets, entertainmentsystems, and portable communication devices. As these computing devicescontinue to evolve, many different ways have been introduced to allowusers to interact with the computing devices, such as through touch,gestures, and speech. With speech interaction, the devices may beoperated essentially “hands free.”

To implement speech interaction, devices are commonly equipped with amicrophone to receive voice input from a user and a speech recognitioncomponent to recognize and understand the voice input. Devices alsocommonly include a speaker to emit audible responses to the user.However, many existing devices have limited sound output and/ornon-uniform sound distribution.

Also, devices typically have a standard or uniform appearance, offeringlittle to no customization. However, with the rise of voice controlleddevices, consumers may seek to customize an appearance of their device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers in different figures indicate similar oridentical items.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of an example voicecontrolled assistant, showing a housing that slides into a sleeve.

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial exploded view of an example voicecontrolled assistant, showing internal components residing within a topportion of a housing.

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial exploded view of an example voicecontrolled assistant, showing internal components residing within a topportion of a housing.

FIG. 4 illustrates a partial exploded view of an example voicecontrolled assistant, showing internal components residing in a bottomportion of a housing.

FIG. 5A illustrates a side view of an example voice controlledassistant, showing an audio diffuser interposed between a top portionand a bottom portion of a housing.

FIG. 5B illustrates a side view of an example voice controlledassistant, showing a close up of an audio diffuser interposed between atop portion and a bottom portion of a housing.

FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a sleeve corresponding toan example voice controlled assistant.

FIG. 6B illustrates a top view of a sleeve corresponding to an examplevoice controlled assistant.

FIG. 7A illustrates a rear view of an example voice controlledassistant.

FIG. 7B illustrates a bottom view of an example voice controlledassistant.

FIG. 7C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example voicecontrolled assistant, showing a housing engaged with a sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, existing computing devices may provide limitedopportunities to customize a look or feel of a voice controlledassistant. This limitation may detract from an aesthetic appearance ofthe assistant or the assistant may not fit with a style of a room inwhich the assistant is to be placed. For instance, depending on thesetting, consumers may wish to alter an appearance of the device.Additionally, consumers may want an appearance of the device to changedepending on certain events, such as Christmas or a birthday.

This application is directed to a voice controlled assistant havingcustomizable appearance. Voice controlled assistants according to thisapplication may have a housing designed to fit within multiple differentinterchangeable sleeves. In some examples, the housing may engage withor rest within a sleeve through sliding the housing down into thesleeve. When assembled, the housing may be engaged flush with the sleeveso as to provide a smooth aesthetic appearance. In other words, thehousing may slide into the sleeve until the sleeve abuts a lip or flangeprotruding radially outward from a top of the housing.

In some instances, the housing may have protrusions that help guide thehousing into the sleeve. The protrusions may offer resistance (i.e.,friction) when the housing is slid into the sleeve, so as to preventdamage to the voice controlled assistant. More particularly, theprotrusions may guide the housing into place within the sleeve bysliding against and providing resistance against a sidewall or surfaceof the sleeve. Moreover, as the protrusions guide the housing down intothe sleeve, the protrusions may help prevent a user's fingers frombecoming pinched between the sidewall and the housing.

To seat the housing within the sleeve, the protrusions may engage withindentations or recesses on an inside surface of the sleeve facing thehousing. The interaction between the protrusions and indentations maysituate the housing within the sleeve. For instance, the when theprotrusions are engaged with the indentations, the housing may becentered within the sleeve. In addition, the protrusions may help retainthe housing within the sleeve. That is, the interplay between theprotrusions and indentations may keep the housing from disconnecting orsliding out of the sleeve, for instance (e.g., when the device is pickedup). The protrusions may also dampen or absorb vibrations from thehousing and prevent the sleeve from rattling during use.

In some examples, to position the housing within the sleeve, alignmentelements may be disposed on the housing and the sleeve. For instance,when the housing is slid into the sleeve, the alignment elements mayserve to properly align the housing with/within the sleeve. Thisalignment may assure that input/output ports (e.g., a power connection,auxiliary port, headphone jack, USB port, etc.) are properly alignedwith a corresponding opening in the sleeve prior to and duringinsertion. In addition, the alignment elements may help prevent thehousing from rotating within the sleeve.

In some examples, to secure the housing to the sleeve, the sleeve andhousing may additionally or alternatively include magnetic elements. Themagnetic elements may be positioned on a bottom surface of the housingand a surface of the sleeve in contact with the bottom surface of thehousing. In some examples, the magnetic elements may reside within thealignment elements. The magnetic elements, when engaged, may provide anindication that the housing is properly aligned with the sleeve. In someinstances, the magnetic elements may include a permanent magnet, anelectromagnet, or a ferrous metal.

A voice controlled assistant according to this application may comprisea housing that includes a top portion and a bottom portion. Legs, orcolumns, may adjoin the top portion and the bottom portion. Legs mayextend from the top portion, the bottom portion, or may be separateinserts. The legs may create a gap between the top portion and thebottom portion of the housing. The gap between the top portion and thebottom portion may assist in outputting sound emitted by loudspeakersresiding within the top portion and/or the bottom portion.

The top portion may include audio input/output components configured toreceive audio input and to provide audio output. To accomplish thefunctions of the voice controlled assistant, and the audio input/outputprocessing, the top portion may include internal components such asloudspeakers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), printed circuit boards(PCBs), or other hardware. The internal components may be used inconjunction with a network-based speech support service server toimplement a speech interface and to perform commands.

In some examples, voice controlled assistants may have buttons and inputand/or output ports. In some examples, the buttons may correspond to apower button, a wireless connectivity button, a mute button, volumebuttons, sync buttons, or any other type of button or control. Thebuttons may be mechanical (e.g., having physically movable components)and/or electronic (e.g., capacitive sensors, optical sensors, touchscreen, or the like). A wireless transceiver may be included andconfigured for communication with other devices, such as mobile phones,tablets, computers, other portable audio input/output devices, and/orany other computing device capable of wireless communication.

In some instances, the voice controlled assistant may have a talk buttonthat is pressed when a user speaks a command. While the talk button ispressed, the voice assistant device may capture user audio and providethe user audio to a speech support service server. The speech supportservice server may perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) andnatural language understanding (NLU) to determine a user's command. Uponidentifying the user's command, the voice controlled assistant mayoutput a response, cause actions to be performed (e.g., playing music orordering movie tickets), or elicit feedback from the user.

In some examples, the voice controlled assistant may have a visualindicator(s) located on a surface or around at least a portion of aperimeter of the housing. The visual indicator may, in some instances,comprise a light ring positioned on or around the top portion of thehousing. The visual indicator may be illuminated by one or more lightsources, such as LEDs, located within the housing. A light guide withinthe housing may redirect light from the LEDs to the light ring or othervisual indicator(s). The visual indicator(s) may indicate variousinformation to a user, such as to provide visual feedback regarding atask or operation being performed by the voice controlled assistant.

The bottom portion of the housing may include LEDs, PCBs, loudspeakers,input and/or output ports including universal serial bus (USB) ports,audio jacks, video jacks, as well as an external power connection. Insome instances, the bottom portion may have a rechargeable battery,enabling the voice controlled assistant to operate without connection toan external power source. However, the voice controlled assistant mayalso be used with a power cord that provides external electrical powerto the battery for recharging, while also providing power to the voicecontrolled assistant.

As briefly indicated above, a bottom cover or surface of the bottomportion may have alignment elements or magnetic elements that position,secure, situate, or otherwise align the housing within the sleeve.

To disperse sound produced by the voice controlled assistant, an audiodiffuser may be interposed between the top portion and the bottomportion of the housing. In some instances, loudspeakers maintained inthe top portion and bottom portion may be directed towards the audiodiffuser. To illustrate, a loudspeaker residing within the top portionof the housing may be directed towards the bottom portion, while theloudspeaker within the bottom portion of the housing may be directedtoward the top portion. That is to say, a first loudspeaker may fire ina first direction while a second loudspeaker fires in a second directionthat is opposite or dissimilar as the first direction. In suchembodiments, when the loudspeakers are firing (i.e., outputting sound),the audio diffuser may radially disperse sound outward, away from thevoice controlled assistant.

The sleeve may have openings extending partially or completely through athickness of the sleeve. The openings may help to disperse sound awayfrom the voice controlled assistant. In some instances, the openings maybe located around a circumference of the sleeve adjacent to the audiodiffuser.

The sleeve may include a grill that surrounds at least a portion of anexterior surface of the sleeve. In some examples, an appearance of thevoice controlled assistant may be modified through interchanging thegrill. For instance, in a setting that includes wood furniture, accents,molding, etc., the voice controlled assistant may have a grill thatincludes a wood-grained exterior finish. In other instances, such as ina kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a grill with a brushed-metalexterior finish may be more appealing. In other instances, the grill maybe a woven or non-woven fabric or mesh material. Yet still, duringholidays, the grill may include Christmas memorabilia. Material of thegrill may be seamless, so as to create a smooth aesthetic appearance.However, in some instances, the appearance of the voice controlledassistant may be modified through replacing the entire sleeve.

An opening within a base end of the sleeve may engage a plug, or foot,disposed on the bottom portion of the housing. That is, the plug of thehousing may protrude at least partially through the opening in thebottom of the sleeve. During use, a user may separate the housing fromthe sleeve by holding the sleeve and pushing upward on the plug to pressthe housing from the sleeve. The pushing may separate the magneticelements in the housing from the corresponding magnetic elements in thesleeve and dislodge the protrusions on the outer circumference of thehousing from the recesses on the inner surface of the sleeve. As thehousing is pressed from the sleeve, the flange or lip around the topportion of the housing is separated from a rim of the sleeve, therebyallowing a user to grasp the flange or lip at the top of the housing andpull it from the sleeve. In some instances, the plug may also center thehousing within the sleeve when installed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example voice controlled assistant100. The voice controlled assistant 100 may include a substantiallycylindrical housing 102, that is engaged within a sleeve 104. In someinstances, the housing 102 may slide into the sleeve 104 through an openend 106 at the top of the sleeve 104. The housing 102 may be embodied asa single feature or may include a top portion 108 and a bottom portion110. When engaged with the sleeve 104, an exterior surface of thehousing 102, such as an exterior surface of the bottom portion 110, maycontact an interior surface of a base end 112 of the sleeve 104. Wheninserted, a flange or lip 114 on the top portion 108 of the housing 102may rest on an annulus 116 surrounding the open end 106 of the sleeve104, so as to create a seamless appearance on an exterior of the voicecontrolled assistant 100. In some instance, the lip 114 may comprise atop cover 118 and/or a light ring 120.

In some examples, the top portion 108 may be hollow and may include thetop cover 118. The top cover 118 may have buttons 122 or other controls,such as volume buttons, a mute button, play control buttons, a talkbutton, etc. Generally, the talk button may be referred to as a talkactuator or a push-to-talk (PTT) button. In some examples, a user maypress the talk button when speaking a request for the voice controlledassistant 100 to perform. In some examples, the user may indicate arequest by prefacing the request with a predefined keyword, such as awakeword or trigger expression, with or without actuating the talkbutton. The buttons 122 may be configured to have caps or contactsplaced over them with symbols visually indicating their associatedfunction.

In some examples, microphone ports 124 may be located through the topcover 118. The microphone ports 124 may direct sound or allow sound topass to one or more microphones (not shown in this figure) includedwithin the top portion 108. That is, the microphones may receive audio,for instance, user speech, via the microphone ports 124 placedthroughout the top portion 108 or the top cover 118. In some examples,the microphones may be selected and/or designed for sensitivity tonear-field audio, so as to adjust audio captured based on whichmicrophones are closest to the user.

As mentioned above, the voice controlled assistant 100 may be configuredto capture and respond to user speech. Speech processing, such asautomatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language understanding(NLU), and speech synthesis may also be performed. In some instances, auser may verbally request the voice controlled assistant 100 to performa particular task, such as to play music. The user speech may beanalyzed and interpreted to identify particular music or other audiocontent that the user has requested to play. The voice controlledassistant 100 may respond to the request by playing the music. In someinstances, content identified in this manner is played throughloudspeakers of the voice controlled assistant 100. However, the voicecontrolled assistant 100 may also be configured to provide the contentto available peripheral devices such as Bluetooth loudspeakers or otherperipherals that are nearby or in wired or wireless communication withthe voice controlled assistant 100. For example, in some instances, thevoice controlled assistant 100 may be configured to play music using ahome audio system. In other examples, the voice controlled assistant 100may be configured to synchronize with other voice controlledassistant(s) (e.g., in other rooms or locations).

In some examples, components of the top portion 108, such as themicrophones, may be acoustically sealed to prevent acoustic signals frominterfering with those being received via other portions of the voicecontrolled assistant 100. For example, various sounds associated withthe click of the buttons 122 may be minimized and acoustically isolatedfrom the microphones.

The light ring 120 may be disposed around an exterior of the housing 102and may be interposed between the lip 114 and the annulus 116 when thehousing 102 is inserted into the sleeve 104. Therefore, when the voicecontrolled assistant 100 is assembled (i.e., inserting the housing 102into the sleeve 104), the light ring 120 may be sandwiched between theannulus 116 of the sleeve 104 and the lip 114 of the housing 102. Thelight ring 120 may provide a visual indicator usable to output one ormore states of the voice controlled assistant 100 (e.g., listening,receiving instruction, processing, volume, etc.). In some examples, thelight ring 120 may be illuminated by one or more light sources residingwithin the housing 102, which is discussed in more detail with referenceto FIG. 2. The one or more light sources illuminating the light ring 120may be illuminated statically (e.g., one or more light sourcesilluminated continuously) or dynamically (e.g., one or more lightsources flashing simultaneously, illuminating the light sourcessequentially, alternating which visual indicators are illuminated,etc.). The light ring 120 may take a wide range of visual appearances byvarying which segments are on/off, the respective colors of thesegments, and the timing of activating the segments. Additional detailsof the top portion 108, including internal components, are discussedwith reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The top portion 108 of the housing 102 may also include protrusions 126on an exterior surface thereof. In some instances, the protrusions 126may encircle a perimeter of the top portion 108. The protrusions 126 maybe embodied as a band that resides within a channel about the topportion 108 or, alternatively, may be individually placed pills or nubs.As briefly indicated above, the protrusions 126 may assist in guidingthe housing 102 into the sleeve 104 so as to prevent damage fromoccurring to the voice controlled assistant 100. That is, theprotrusions 126 may offer resistance between the housing 102 and aninterior surface of the sleeve 104. In some examples, dimples orindentations (not shown) may be formed on the interior surface of thesleeve 104 and may be complimentary (e.g., sized and shaped) to engagewith the protrusions 126. In other examples, the dimples or indentationsmay be omitted. Also, while the illustrated examples show theprotrusions 126 on the housing 102, in other examples the protrusions126 could be located on the interior surface of the sleeve 102 andcomplimentary dimples or indentations may or may not be disposed on theexterior surface of the housing 102. The protrusions 126 may bemanufactured from a plurality of materials, including, for example,polymers, rubbers, foams, or thermal plastic elastomers (PCEs).

The bottom portion 110 may include alignment elements 128 such as ribs,tabs, protrusions, slots, indentations, raised platforms, keys, keyways,etc. The alignment elements 128 may assist in situating and retainingthe housing 102 within the sleeve 104. In some instances, the alignmentelements 128 may be located on the bottom portion 110 of the housing 102and may engage, rest, or interact with corresponding alignment elementson an interior surface of the sleeve 104 contacting the bottom portion110. For instance, and as shown in FIG. 1, the alignment elements 128 inthis example resemble a channel formed into an exterior surface of thebottom portion 110. In some instances, the alignment elements 128 mayextend along an exterior surface of the bottom portion 110 and/or asidewall of the exterior surface of the bottom portion 110, resemblingan “L” shaped groove.

As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the bottom portion 110 of housing 102may have the alignment elements 128 resembling a through or groove. Tomate or otherwise engage with the alignment elements 128, the sleeve 104may have an associated extruded alignment element(s) that mirrors anoutline of the alignment elements 128. This way, when the housing 102 isplaced into the sleeve 104, the alignment elements 128 will pair withthe other alignment element(s). While this example has been discussedwith regards to a single pair of alignment elements, any number of oneor more alignment elements may be incorporated, each having different orsimilar shapes and appearances. In addition, the alignment elements 128may extend or be included on an exterior surface of the top portion 108.

When the alignment elements 128 are engaged with their correspondingsets, the interaction may prevent the housing 102 from rotating withinthe sleeve 104. Moreover, the alignment elements 128 may align I/O portson the housing 102 (e.g., power port) with corresponding ports oropenings in the sleeve 104.

In some instances, a notch, pocket, recess, depression, or otherindentation 130 may be disposed within the alignment elements 128. Theindentation 130 may interact or engage with a corresponding protrusion(not shown in this figure) located on an interior surface of the sleeve104 adjacent to the indentation 130.

Similar to the top portion 108, the bottom portion 110 of housing 102may include protrusions 132 that encircle a perimeter of bottom portion110. In some instances, rather than the bottom portion 110 having theprotrusions 132, the bottom portion 110 may have indentions that engagewith corresponding protrusions on an interior surface of the sleeve 104.However, in some instances, the bottom portion 110 may not include theprotrusions 132 and/or indentations. Additionally, as alluded topreviously and although not shown in FIG. 1, the bottom portion 110 mayhave contacts, charging ports to power internal components of thehousing 102 (e.g., a USB port, AC power port, etc.). As mentioned above,in some examples, the voice controlled assistant 100 may be mainspowered, while in other examples the voice controlled assistant 100 mayinclude a rechargeable internal battery for cordless operation.

The top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110 may be separated by aplurality of legs 134 (columns, spacers, inserts, etc.) disposed arounda perimeter of the exterior surface of the top portion 108 and theexterior surface of the bottom portion 110. Stated another way, theplurality of legs 134 may span a distance between the top portion 108and the bottom portion 110. In some instances, the plurality of legs 134may connect or otherwise adjoin the top portion 108 with the bottomportion 110 of the housing 102 at multiple locations around exteriorsurfaces thereof.

The plurality of legs 134 may form a gap 136 interposed between the topportion 108 and the bottom portion 110. The gap 136 may create space inwhich an audio diffuser resides (not shown). The audio diffuser mayassist in radially dispersing sound emitted by loudspeakers within thehousing 102, away from the voice controlled assistant 100. In someinstances, and as discussed and shown later, loudspeakers may bedisposed within the top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110,respectively.

Referring now to details of the sleeve 104, in some examples, the sleeve104 may comprise a substantially cylindrical shape that is sized toencircle or otherwise encase the housing 102. As noted above, the sleeve104 may include the open end 106 through which the housing 102 isinserted, and the base end 112 on which the housing 102 rests. A grill138 may partially or completely surround an exterior surface of thesleeve 104. In some instances, the sleeve 104 and/or the grill 138 maybe interchanged or swapped out depending on a desired appearance of thevoice controlled assistant 100. In other examples, the size, shape,and/or configuration of the sleeve 104 may be different than thatillustrated. For instance, the sleeve may have a substantially square orrectangular cross section, an ovoid cross section, a hexagonal oroctagonal cross section, the sleeve may extend only a portion (i.e.,less than all) of a height of the housing 102, the sleeve may cover onlya portion of an exterior surface of the housing 102 (e.g., one or moreportions of the housing 102 may be exposed and not covered by thesleeve), etc.

In addition, as mentioned above, surfaces of the sleeve 104 in contactor adjacent to the housing 102 (e.g., the bottom portion 110) may havealignment element(s) (not shown) to engage with the alignment elements128 on the housing 102. For instance, by way of an additional example,first alignment elements may be disposed on a bottom cover and/orexterior surface of the bottom portion 110. Second alignment elementsmay be located on an interior surface of the base end 112 of the sleeve104, so as to engage and interact with the first alignment elements. Thefirst and second alignment elements may also be disposed on an interiorsurface of the sleeve 104 in contact with the housing 102 and/or anexterior surface of the housing 102 in contact with the sleeve 104.

As mentioned above, the top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110 mayhave the protrusions 126 and 132, respectively. The protrusions 126, 132may occupy or otherwise engage indentations (not shown) on an interiorsurface of the sleeve 104. The indentations may be disposed around aninterior perimeter of the sleeve 104 and may be configured to receivethe corresponding protrusions 126, 132 on the top portion 108 and thebottom portion 110. That is, to further illustrate, the protrusions 126,132 may rest within the indentations when the housing 102 is insertedinto the sleeve 104. As such, the indentations, through theirinteraction with the protrusions 126, 132, may help retain and situatethe housing 102 within/in the sleeve 104. In addition, the indentationsmay help the protrusions 126, 132 retain their shape by providing aninlet for the protrusions 126, 132 to erect when the housing 102 isinserted into the sleeve 104.

The base end 112 of the sleeve 104 may have a base cover 140 enclosingthe base end 112. As will be discussed in more detail herein, the baseend 112 and/or the base cover 140 may have an opening disposedtherethrough (not shown). The opening may fit a plug located on thebottom portion 110 or a bottom cover of the bottom portion 110 of thehousing 102. The opening may provide accessibility to the plug such thatwhen pushed, the housing 102 may be separated from the sleeve 104. Thebase cover 140 may have rounded, smoothed, or chamfered edges.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the voice controlled assistant100, showing a partially exploded top portion 108 of the housing 102.FIG. 2 shows details of an assembly of parts beneath the top cover 118of the top portion 108. In some examples, the top cover 118 may havebutton covers 200 or other controls.

Positioned beneath the top cover 118 may be the light ring 120 and afoam substrate 202. The foam substrate 202 may acoustically seal one ormore microphones beneath the top cover 118. A printed circuit board(PCB) 204 may reside beneath the foam substrate 202 and may includecomputing components such as any number of processors, memory, circuits,transformers, power supplies, network interfaces, and so forth. Whenpresent, the memory may store one or more software modules orinstructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configurethe voice controlled assistant 100 to perform various operations. Inaddition, in some examples, the PCB 204 may have one or more microphones206. In some instances, to permit acoustic signals to reach themicrophone(s) 206, the microphone(s) 206 may be aligned or disposedbeneath microphone ports 124 extending through the top cover 118 and/orthe foam substrate 202.

The PCB 204 may also have buttons 208 that engage with or interact withthe button covers 200 on the top cover 118. An underneath side of thePCB 208 (not shown) may have one or more light emitting diodes LEDs 210or other light sources.

The LEDs 210 may be designed to emit light towards a light guide 212positioned adjacent to the underneath side of PCB 204, so as to face theLEDs 210. The light guide 212 may redirect light from the LEDs 210towards the light ring 120 positioned next to or connected with the topcover 118. In some instance, the light ring 120 may resemble a collarthat surrounds a perimeter of the top cover 118. In other instances, thelight ring 120 may be positioned beneath the top cover 118, adjacent toa lip or rim thereof.

The light guide 212 may comprise any type of light diffuser thatredirects light from the LEDs 210 towards the light ring 120. Inoperation, light from the LEDs 210 may be emitted towards the lightguide 212 and may bounce around, reflect, or refract within the lightguide 212, so as to emit at various angles from the light guide 212. Insome instances, the light guide 212 may comprise a milky or translucentmaterial, such as polycarbonate, that causes the light to disperse atvarious angles resulting in a substantially uniform dispersion of light.

FIG. 2 also includes a partial cross-sectional view of a close-up of thetop cover 118, the light ring 120, LEDs 210, and the light guide 212.The LEDs 210 may emit light within an interior portion 214, between ashroud 216 and the PCB 204. The light may enter the light guide 212through openings facing the interior portion 214. After traversing thelight guide 212, the light may pass through the light ring 120 and beemitted (shown by broken line).

The shroud 216 may be located beneath the light guide 212 and may blocklight from shining downward into the top portion 108. In some instances,the shroud 216 may be a light reflective or light-blocking material.

A heatsink 218 may be included to expel heat from a generating source.For instance, the heatsink 218 may disperse heat from the LEDs 210,processors, or other internal components within the top portion 108.

Located beneath the heatsink 218 may be an additional printed circuitboard (PCB) 220. The PCB 220 may include similar or different componentsthan those mentioned hereinabove with regard to the PCB 204. Generally,the PCB 220 may comprise any type of printed circuit board thatmechanically supports and electrically connects one or more componentsof the voice controlled assistant 100. For instance, the PCB 220 mayconnect electronic components using conductive paths etched from aconductive substrate (e.g., copper) that has been laminated, or printed,onto a non-conductive substrate, such as plastic.

In some instances, the PCB 220 may carry out processing of themicrophones 206, the buttons 208, the LEDs 210, or other components ofthe voice controlled assistant 100. As indicated above, the heatsink 218may assist in expelling heat away from the PCB 220. Thermal pads 222 mayadjoin or abut components of the PCB 220 to the heatsink 218. Inaddition, conductive pads 224 may be included to for electrically groundcomponents of the voice controlled assistant 100.

In some examples, one or more radial seals may be positioned adjacent tothe light ring 120. Accordingly, when the top portion 108 is placedwithin a sleeve, the radial seal may encapsulate components within thetop portion 108 and/or underneath the top cover 118.

A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 226 may connect processingbetween the top portion 108 and a bottom portion (not shown) of thehousing 102. In some instances, the FPCB 226 or may provide signals to aloudspeaker residing within the top portion 108. For instance, in someexamples, processing may be carried out on the PCB 204, 220 residingwith a top half of the top portion 108. Therein, the FPCB 226 mayelectronically connect the electrical components to other hardwarelocated in a bottom half of the top portion 108, such as a loudspeaker.Yet still, the FPCB 226 may link components residing within the bottomportion of the housing 102 (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial exploded view of the housing 102, showingdetails of the top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110.

The top portion 108 may include an internal cavity to allow aloudspeaker 300 to position within the top portion 108. In someinstances, the loudspeaker 300 may output low and/or mid-rangefrequencies (e.g., woofer). In some instances, the internal cavity mayprovide back volume when the loudspeaker 300 is outputting sound. Whenthe housing 102 is assembled, the loudspeaker 300 may fit within theinternal cavity of the top portion 108, and rest along a bottom rim 302of the top portion 108, creating a flush finish.

The flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 226 may link loudspeakers(e.g., the loudspeaker 300) or drivers positioned within the internalcavity of the top portion 108 to printed circuit boards located in aseparate region of the top portion 108, as discussed above with regardto FIG. 2. In addition, the FPCB 226 may provide power to microphones,LEDs, PCBs, etc., included under the top cover 118 of the top portion108. A FPCB cover 304 may conceal the FPCB 226 to protect and retain theFPCB 226 within close proximity to the top portion 108. The FPCB cover304 may be a plastic material with a rubber seal, or grommet,surrounding a perimeter thereof.

In some instances, an audio diffuser 306 may be interposed between thetop portion 108 and the bottom portion 110, so as to rest within a spacebetween the top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110. As mentionedhereinabove, the audio diffuser 306 may help direct sound outward andaway from the voice controlled assistant 100. The audio diffuser 306 mayhave an audio diffuser frame 308 to position and support the audiodiffuser 306. Additional details of the audio diffuser 306 are discussedlater in FIG. 5B.

In some instances, the space occupied by the audio diffuser 306 may comeby way of the plurality of legs 134 spanning between the top portion 108and the bottom portion 110. More particularly, the plurality of legs 134may act as standoff between the top portion 108 and the bottom portion110. In some instances, and as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of legs134 may extend from the bottom portion 110. In addition, the pluralityof legs 134 may attach the top portion 108 with the bottom portion 110.

Screws or other fasteners 310 may connect the top portion 108 and thebottom portion 110. In some instances, the screws 310 may be disposedthrough the plurality of legs 134. However, the top portion 108 and thebottom portion 110 may be secured to one another through alternatemeans, including adhesive, being snapped together, etc.

The bottom portion 110 may have ports 312 for connecting the voicecontrolled assistant 100 to a power source. In some instance, otherinput/output ports may be included, such as an auxiliary or USB port.Cover(s) 314 may be attached to the bottom portion 110 and serve to plugor otherwise occupy input/output ports when not in use.

In some instances, power supplied to the bottom portion 110, via theport 312, may be routed to the top portion 108 of the housing 102. Powermay be configured to route through a foot 316 disposed on the bottomportion 110. In some instances, the foot 316 may be one of the pluralityof legs 134 or may be embodied as a separate feature.

More particularly, to supply the power, when the bottom portion 110 isassembled to the top portion 108 (e.g., the screws 312), the foot 316may traverse a hole 318 in the audio diffuser frame 308, so as toconnect with contacts 320 within the top portion 108. Accordingly, theFPCB 226 may transmit power to the LEDs 210 and the microphones 206, forinstance. In some instances, in addition to power being supplied throughthe foot 316, processing done within the bottom portion 110 may also berouted through the foot 316.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective and exploded view of the housing 102having the bottom portion 110. Situated within or connected to thebottom portion 110 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) 400 and a basecover 140. The PCB 400 may have a similar or different hardware asmentioned herein above with regards to the PCB 204, 220 of FIG. 2.

A loudspeaker 404 may reside on the PCB 400 and may be directed tooutput sound towards an outlet disposed through a top surface of thebottom portion 100 (not shown). As discussed previously, the loudspeaker404 may be oriented towards the top portion 108 of the voice controlledassistant 100 and/or the audio diffuser 306 positioned adjacent to thebottom portion 110. In some instances, the loudspeaker 404 may outputsounds towards other loudspeakers included in the housing 102, such asthe loudspeaker 300 residing within the top portion 108 of the housing102. In some instances, the loudspeaker 404 may be designed to outputhigh frequencies (e.g., tweeter).

A power plug 416 may also reside on the PCB 400. The power plug 416 mayreceive AC from a mains power supply and convert it into DC, so as tosupply power to components of the voice controlled assistant 100, suchas the PCB 400 and the loudspeaker 404, for instance.

Additionally, to secure the housing 102 to the sleeve 104, an attachmentmechanism, such as magnetic elements 406 may be included on the housing102 and/or the sleeve 104 to secure the housing 102 in the sleeve 104and prevent inadvertent removal of the sleeve 104 during use. Themagnetic elements 406 may be positioned on a surface of the housing 102in contact with the base end 112 of the sleeve 104, such as the basecover 140. In some instances, the magnetic elements 406 may includemagnets or ferrous metals. The magnetic elements 406 may engage withmagnetic elements on the sleeve 104 into which the housing 102 isplaced. The magnetic elements 406 on the housing 102 and the sleeve 104,when engaged, may secure the housing 102 and the sleeve 104 together. Insome examples, the magnetic elements 406 may reside within the alignmentelements 128, 408(1)(2).

The base cover 140 and/or the bottom portion 110 may include alignmentelements 408(1)(2). For instance, as shown in FIG. 4, the alignmentelements 408(1) may be on a bottom surface of the base cover 140. Thealignment elements 408(2) may extend partially up an exterior surface ofthe bottom portion 110. When the base cover 140 is connected to thebottom portion 110, for instance, through screws 410, the alignmentelements 408(1) on the base cover 140 may align with the alignmentelements 408(2) on an exterior of the bottom portion 110. Yet still, thealignment elements 408(2) may extend partially or completely up anexterior of the housing 102 (not shown). The alignment elements408(1)(2) may be positioned to engage with corresponding elements on aninterior surface of a sleeve into which the housing 102 is placed.

The base cover 140 may also include an access port 412 and acorresponding access port plug 414, or cap, that covers the access port412 when not in use. For instance, the access port 412 may be used toinstall updates or test software/hardware components.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the housing 102 having the top portion 108and the bottom portion 110. The top portion 108 may be connected to thebottom portion 110 through the plurality of legs 134. The plurality oflegs 134 may create the gap 136 between the top portion 108 and thebottom portion 110 within which the audio diffuser 306 may be placed.

The audio diffuser 306 may be designed to radially emit sound producedby loudspeakers residing with the top portion 108 and the bottom portion110, respectively. In some instances, the loudspeakers may be orientedto point towards the audio diffuser 306. The loudspeakers within the topportion 108 and the bottom portion 110, as well as the audio diffuser306, may be aligned, for instance, through a centerline.

The audio diffuser 306 may take a plurality of shapes. For instance, theaudio diffuser 306 may be, convex, concave, dome-shaped, bell-shaped, orany combination thereof. Opposing sides of the audio diffuser 306 mayhave a similar or different shape. In some instances, halves or portionsof the audio diffuser 306 may be welded together (e.g., sonically). Theaudio diffuser frame 308 may position the audio diffuser 306 within thegap 136 (not shown). The audio diffuser 306 may have a plurality ofsurface finishes, such as being textured, polished, brushed, orsmoothed. Accordingly, since portions of the audio diffuser 306 may bevisible between adjacent or neighboring legs of the plurality of legs134, through the gap 136, when the housing 102 is separated from thesleeve (104 of FIG. 1), the audio diffuser 306 may have a cosmeticappearance.

As shown in FIG. 5B, in some instances, a bottom half of the audiodiffuser 306 facing a loudspeaker in the bottom portion 110 of thehousing 102 may resemble a bell-shaped appearance with an apex 502.Additionally, or alternatively, a top half of the audio diffuser 306facing a loudspeaker in the top portion 108 of the housing 102 have adome-shaped appearance with a crown 504. In some instance, the apex 502and the crown 504 may be centered along a centerline.

As the voice controlled assistant 100 according to this application maybe designed to have a seamless appearance, when the housing 102 is slidinto the sleeve 104, it may be difficult to separate the housing 102from the sleeve 104. To assist in removal, a plug 500, or otherextrusion, may be included on the bottom portion 110. The plug 500 mayfit within an opening on a base end of the sleeve 104 that engages withthe housing 102 (not shown). When removing the housing 102 from thesleeve 104, for instance, when a difference appearance state is desired,a user may press on the plug 500 so as to expose part of the top portion108 above the sleeve 104 into which the housing 102 resides.Pressing/pushing the plug 500 may allow a user to grasp the top portion108, for instance, the top cover 118 and/or the light ring 120, whichmay be otherwise incapable of grasping when the housing 102 ispositioned within the sleeve 104. Stated differently, pressing the plug500 may expose part of the top portion 108 above the annulus 116 ofsleeve 104 (not shown). As discussed in more detail herein, a base endof the sleeve 104 engaged with the housing 102 may have an openingthrough which the plug 500 may partially or completely occupy. Given theinteraction between the plug 500 and a corresponding opening in thesleeve 104, a user may find it easy to alter an appearance of the voicecontrolled assistant 100. The plug 500 may also include an indentationto receive a finger of the user.

As discussed in FIG. 2, the top portion 108 may include the light ring120 that surrounds a portion thereof. In some instances, the light ring120 may be disposed adjacent to the top cover 118 or under a lip of thetop cover 118. The protrusions 126, 132 may reside on an exteriorsurface of the top portion 108 and the bottom portion 110, respectively.In addition, the alignment elements 520 may be disposed on the bottomportion 110 to align the housing 102 within the sleeve 104. The bottomportion 110 may also include input/output ports, such as a powerconnection, auxiliary connection, etc.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate various details of the sleeve 104.Particularly FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the sleeve104 while FIG. 6B illustrates a top view of the sleeve 104, looking intoa cavity thereof.

The sleeve 104 may include the open end 106 and the partially enclosedbase end 112. The open end 106 may provide an aperture through which thehousing 102 is placed into the sleeve 104. The open end 106 may alsohave the annulus 116 designed to engage with a lip or surface of thehousing 102.

The partially enclosed base end 112 may be designed to engage with abottom surface of the housing 102 when inserted into the sleeve 104. Forinstance, the housing 102 may rest on surface 600 of the partiallyenclosed base end 112. To align and situate the housing 102 within thesleeve 104, alignment elements 602 may be disposed along the surface 600of the partially enclosed base end 112. In some instances, and as shown,the alignment elements 602 may extend up an interior surface 604 of thesleeve 104. The alignment elements 602 may engage with the correspondingalignment elements 130 on the housing 102.

Magnetic elements 606 may be included on the sleeve 104 to engagecorresponding magnetic elements located on the housing 102. In someinstances, and as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the magnetic elements 606may be situated within or otherwise integrated with the alignmentelements 602.

The partially enclosed base end 112 may be partially enclosed in that anopening 608 may extend therethrough. The opening 608 may be centeredwithin the sleeve 104 and may be designed to receive the plug 500located on the bottom portion 110 of the housing 102, for instance, asshown and discussed in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In some instances, when thehousing 102 is placed within the sleeve 104, the plug 500 may bepartially or completely pass through the opening 608.

The grill 138 may wrap or surround all of a portion of an outer surfaceof the sleeve 104. In some instances, the voice controlled assistant 100may take a plurality of appearances through interchanging the sleeve 104and/or the grill 138.

The grill 138 may comprise a plurality of materials including plastic,metals, wood-veneer, knitted fabric, leather, or a mesh. In addition,the plurality of materials may include various colors. In someinstances, the grill 138 may be a seamless material installed by slidinga tube of the material over the sleeve 104. In some instances, the grill138 may have an open top and bottom ends, resembling a tube, that allowsthe grill 138 to wrap over the sleeve 104. In such instances, a top endof the material may be folded over (e.g., wrapped, tucked, etc.) theannulus 116 and compressed between the sleeve 104 and the housing 102,when placed within the sleeve 104. In some instances, the top cover 118,as discussed in FIG. 2, may pin the material against the sleeve 104 tohold the material in place. Alternatively, or additionally, an adhesivemay be positioned between the material and the interior surface 604 ofthe sleeve 104. By folding the material over the sleeve 104 and holdingthe material in place using the top portion 108 of the housing 102, theends of the material may be hidden from external view. In someinstances, such as a grill having wood-veneer finish, the veneer mayresemble a cylindrically shaped material that may slide over an exteriorsurface 610 of the sleeve 104.

In FIG. 6A, the sleeve 104 may include openings 612 positioned aroundall or part of a circumference of the sleeve 104. The openings 612 mayprovide space for sound emitted by loudspeakers in the housing topass-through. In some instances, when the housing 102 is placed withinthe sleeve 104, the openings 612 may be both near (e.g., verticallyand/or horizontally) or adjacent to the audio diffuser 306 of thehousing 102. That is, as discussed above, when the housing 102 isinserted into the sleeve 104, the audio diffuser 306 may align with acenterline of the openings 612. Additionally, the openings 612 may beomitted from an area 614 on the sleeve 104 next to the plurality of legs134 of the housing 102.

In some instances, the openings 612 may take a patterned look and mayresemble a plurality of shapes, including being circular, square,hexagonal, or any combination thereof.

A slot 616 may be included in the sleeve 104 to allow internalcomponents of the housing 102, such as those within the bottom 110portion, to receive external connections (e.g., power or auxiliary).

In some instances, a rubber foot 618 may attach to the bottom surface600 of the sleeve 104. The rubber foot 618 may surround a perimeter ofthe bottom surface 600 or may partially or completely adjoin to thebottom surface 600.

FIG. 7A illustrates a rear view of the voice controlled assistant 100,having the housing 102 engaged within the sleeve 104. In some instances,the housing 102 may engage with the sleeve 104 so as to resemble a flushseamless appearance.

When the housing 102 is inserted into the sleeve 104, the light ring 120may be exposed above the annulus 116 of the open end 106 of the sleeve104. As mentioned previously herein, the light ring 120 may serve toidentify functions performed by the voice controlled assistant 100.Additionally, when the housing 102 is inserted into the sleeve 104,internal components of the housing 102, such as the port 312, may beexposed through a slot 700 included in the sleeve 104. The bottomportion 108 of the housing 102 (not shown) may rest or engage with aninterior surface on the base end 112 of the sleeve 104.

The grill 138 may surround an exterior surface of the sleeve 104 so asto give the voice controlled assistant 100 varying appearances. In someexamples, the grill 138 may be a fabric comprising a seamless tube ofmaterial.

FIG. 7B illustrates the voice controlled assistant 100 having theopening 608 included through the base end 112 of the sleeve 104. Theopening 608 may assist when separating the housing 102 from the sleeve104, such as when a user presses on the plug 500. As shown, the grill138 may surround or wrap an exterior of the sleeve 104.

FIG. 7C illustrates a partial cross-section of the voice controlledassistant 100, taken along line A-A of FIG. 7B. More particularly,section A-A, shows the interaction between the plug 500 disposed on thebottom portion 110 of the housing 102 engaged, partially resting within,or extending through or into the opening 608 on the base end 112 of thesleeve 104. Section A-A also shows the magnetic elements 606 on the baseend 112 of the sleeve 104 engaging with the magnetic elements 406 on thebottom portion 110 of housing 102. Also shown in FIG. 7C is the rubberfoot 618 disposed on or around a bottom surface of the based end 112 ofthe sleeve 104.

CONCLUSION

While various examples and embodiments are described individuallyherein, the examples and embodiments may be combined, rearranged andmodified to arrive at other variations within the scope of thisdisclosure.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms ofimplementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a housingincluding a top portion and a bottom portion; a first loudspeakerpositioned within the top portion and aligned to output first soundtowards the bottom portion; a second loudspeaker positioned within thebottom portion and aligned to output second sound towards the topportion; and an audio diffuser interposed between the first loudspeakerand the second loudspeaker.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, whereinthe audio diffuser comprises: a dome-shaped portion, a first apex of thedome-shaped portion being directed towards the first loudspeaker; and abell-shaped portion, a second apex of the bell-shaped portion beingdirected towards the second loudspeaker.
 3. The electronic device ofclaim 1, further comprising a sleeve configured to engage with thehousing, the sleeve having a partially enclosed base end and a top end,and a portion of the sleeve comprising at least one of fabric, plastic,or wood.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the housingcomprises a plurality of legs adjoining a bottom surface of the topportion and a top surface of the bottom portion; and at least one gap isinterposed between at least two adjacent legs of the plurality of legs.5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the top portion includes afirst exterior surface and the bottom portion includes a second exteriorsurface, further comprising: first protrusions extending radiallyoutward on the first exterior surface of the top portion; secondprotrusions extending radially outward on the second exterior surface ofthe bottom portion; a sleeve configured to engage with the housing, thesleeve having an interior surface; and at least one of: firstindentations disposed on the interior surface of the sleeve, individualindentations of the first indentations configured to engage with a firstcorresponding first protrusion of the first protrusions; or secondindentations disposed on the interior surface of the sleeve, individualindentations of the second indentations configured to engage with asecond corresponding second protrusion of the second protrusions.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a sleeve configured toengage with the housing, the sleeve including an opening extendingthrough a base end of the sleeve; and a plug positioned on the bottomportion, wherein the plug extends at least partially into or at leastpartially through the opening.
 7. A device comprising: a housingincluding a top portion and a bottom portion; one or more legs extendingbetween the top portion and the bottom portion, the one or more legsoffsetting the top portion and the bottom portion defining a gap betweenthe top portion and the bottom portion; an audio diffuser disposed atleast partially within the gap; a first loudspeaker disposed within thetop portion and being oriented to output first sound towards the audiodiffuser; and a second loudspeaker disposed within the bottom portionand being oriented to output second sound towards the audio diffuser. 8.The device of claim 7, wherein: the first loudspeaker comprises a wooferloudspeaker or a mid-range loudspeaker; and the second loudspeakercomprises a tweeter loudspeaker.
 9. The device of claim 7, wherein theaudio diffuser comprises: a dome-shaped portion, a first apex of thedome-shaped portion being directed towards the first loudspeaker; and abell-shaped portion, a second apex of the bell-shaped portion beingdirected towards the second loudspeaker.
 10. The device of claim 7,further comprising a sleeve, wherein at least a portion of the housingis configured to reside within the sleeve.
 11. The device of claim 10,wherein: the sleeve includes an open end and a partially-enclosed baseend; the partially-enclosed base end includes an opening; and the bottomportion includes a plug that extends at least partially into or at leastpartially through the opening.
 12. The device of claim 10, wherein thesleeve includes a plurality of openings that are positioned adjacent tothe gap.
 13. The device of claim 7, wherein the audio diffuser, thefirst loudspeaker, and the second loudspeaker are axially aligned withinthe housing.
 14. The device of claim 7, wherein the top portion includesa light indicator that indicates an operational state of the audiodevice.
 15. A device comprising: a housing including: a top portion; abottom portion; and one or more legs extending between the top portionand the bottom portion, wherein the one or more legs offset the topportion and the bottom portion resulting in a gap disposed between thetop portion and the bottom portion; a first loudspeaker disposed withinthe top portion; a second loudspeaker disposed within the bottomportion; and an audio diffuser at least partially disposed within thegap.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein: the first loudspeaker isoriented toward the audio diffuser; the second loudspeaker is orientedtowards the audio diffuser; and the first loudspeaker, the secondloudspeaker, and the audio diffuser are centrally aligned within thedevice.
 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the audio diffusercomprises: a dome-shaped portion, a first apex of the dome-shapedportion being directed towards the first loudspeaker; and a bell-shapedportion, a second apex of the bell-shaped portion being directed towardsthe second loudspeaker.
 18. The device of claim 15, wherein the audiodiffuser comprises: a first portion oriented towards the firstloudspeaker, the first portion having a first shape; a second portionoriented towards the second loudspeaker, the second portion having asecond shape that is different than the first shape.
 19. The device ofclaim 15, further comprising a sleeve configured to couple to thehousing, wherein at least a portion of the housing resides within thesleeve.
 20. The device of claim 15, further comprising at least one of:one or more microphones disposed in the top portion; one or more buttonsdisposed on the bottom portion; or a light indicator disposed on the topportion and indicating an operational state of the device.